Green Forest board approves bid to air-condition gyms

A couple of well-used facilities in the Green Forest School District will have a much cooler future thanks to recent action by the school board.

At its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 14, the school board voted 6-0 to accept a bid of $376,350 for HVAC projects at both the historic Rock Gym and Grim Gym.

“We are using our, which is the last group of ESSER monies for this large HVAC project,” superintendent Matt Summers said. “The Rock Gym is currently not air-conditioned at all, and the Grim Gym is partially-air conditioned.”

Summers said since the project will use federal funds, the district recently hired a construction manager to oversee the bid process.

“We had five companies come and do the research and pick up a bid package, but we only had two bids submitted,” he said.

The low and winning bid was from Nabholz Construction. The other bid was $483,950 from Mountain Mechanical, Summers said.

“This is the last batch of that ESSER money,” the superintendent said. “It was the third batch and since it was federal funds our facilities person suggested we use a construction manager and that’s why we went that way to do it.”

The Rock Gym, a WPA building, is used daily for basketball and volleyball practices and physical education classes, Summers said.

“The Grim Gym is also used every day for basketball, volleyball and PE classes, and of course assemblies and other things,” he said. “That’s our competitive gym for competitions in both volleyball and basketball.”

Because of the age of the facility, the Rock Gym has never had air conditioning, Summers said.

“It’s a WPA building so the bones are very strong, but it was built at a time where air conditioning wasn’t common, and we’ve just not had the funds,” he said. “But, since we do use it every day for both PE and athletic groups — and part of ESSER funds is air quality — the Summers said he expects the heavy units to come from out of the country and it could take a number of months before the project becomes a reality.

“There may be an eight-month lead time … and if that’s the case, it’ll be a July thing,” he said. “But, hopefully those lead times won’t be that long and we could get something rolling in the spring.”

Whenever the units get installed, they will be welcomed by staff and students.

“They will be more than just thankful,” Summers said. “Fans just don’t generate enough.”

MASTER PLAN GETS GREEN LIGHT

The board also gave the OK for the district to proceed with submitting to the state a master plan proposal that would include the construction of a new campus for grades 7 through 12.

“We’ve been talking about this for quite some time,” Summers said. “The board voted to go ahead and get the architect started on what drawings and specifications are needed to apply for state funding.”

The deadline to submit plans to the state is Feb. 1.

“We anticipate our architect will be at our December board meeting to visit with the board more about our thoughts and plans,” Summers said. “Obviously, the work he’s going to do is not every detailed piece, but it does have to meet some guidelines from the state and then we will be applying for that. We fill find out in May of 2025 if we are accepted, how much, all that kind of stuff. You have to do all that to get state funding, but there’s just too much money on the table.”

The district can apply for the state funding even if the project doesn’t become reality, Summers said.

“There is no penalty if we apply and don’t move forward with the building project,” he said. “But if you do move on, then there would be the process of a potential millage.”

Summers said the construction plans for a new campus would help accommodate the growth in the district.

“That would alleviate classroom space needs throughout the district,” he said. “We would apply on or before February 1, 2024, we would be made known how much and if we are approved in May 2025 and … if we needed a millage increase for the remaining funds that would go to the voters in the fall of 2025.

“… We’re talking many years down the road. But you’ve got to get the pieces in place to be approved for state funding and receive those dollars that are very vital to any project.”

Summers said the district has already purchased land around the entire block where the campuses are currently located with the exception of one home just to the south of the high school campus.

SHE’S BACK

Personnel approval included a familiar face returning to the elementary school.

Danette Chaney, the longtime principal at the school who retired last spring, will be returning Nov. 28 as a kindergarten teacher, Summers said.

“We had to add a kindergarten class due to growth,” he said. “We had exactly 18 kindergarten students enroll in the first month of school after school had started. We tried to do what we could and went with a longterm sub as long as we could.”

Summers said he and Heather Ogden, the school’s first-year principal, reached out to Chaney to see if she would be interested in coming out of retirement and return to the school where she once was a kindergarten teacher.

“Her retirement was short-lived,” Summers said. “Just a shout out to. She’s the bomb and we’re so thrilled to have her back.

“She was a kindergarten teacher before becoming principal so this is kind of full circle for her. We are just thrilled to have her as long as we can keep her.”